


Another form of escapism

by katiebuttercup



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Awkwardness, England/Belgium are still my go to sweetness otp, F/M, I saw Belgium/Scotland in the tags that might be cute too, england's helping...mostly, you might die from the fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-21
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-05 16:07:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1824319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katiebuttercup/pseuds/katiebuttercup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wales might actually have found someone he likes, but the kirkland hesitation might just screw him over. Again.</p><p>(I need a better summary)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: no characters belong to me 

Kindly beta'd by saketini 

 

Wales stubs out his cigarette on the bin provided before settling his gaze back on the gently rolling hills spread out before him. The lush green colour calling to him. He likes the point of reference. Everything changes, sometimes quicker then he can see and other times he feels like nothing changes at all. His relationships with his siblings sometimes feel like that. 

And speaking of. 

The tension is immediately back in his spine as he sees his sister stomp her way over to him, and he feels immediately defensive. England does that to people. 

"What is the matter with you?" England demands as she reaches him. Wales wonders briefly what he has supposedly done but England can fly into a fit at the drop of the hat. 

He thinks, a little churlishly, that he should be the one upset since he was the one being sidelined but he doesn't. Accidentally revealing that he liked England's houseguest a lot more than friendship was bad enough. 

"I'm boring myself at this point," England continues and Wales wonders if he has dropped off somewhere in England's speech because he can't quite follow. As if sensing her brother’s confusion, England thumped him in the shoulder and dragged him to the doorway of the pub. Wales could see Belgium sitting at the table, glass of cider almost empty. Wales's heart made an odd thumping feeling in his chest. 

"She's waiting for you!" England says, "you were supposed to come and rescue her at least half an hour ago." 

"How was I supposed to know?" Wales asks, focusing on his sister is easier then thinking about having to ask Belgium out. 

"If she looked any more bored she'd be in a coma, and I'm brilliant company normally," her tone dares him to contradict her.

He doesn't. 

England huffs, "Look I've just got a very important phone call that requires by attention back in London so you're going to have to take Marie back home. Or—” England pauses significantly so that Wales can't help but understand that this phone call is fiction. 

"You could take her back to yours, since we are on the border." 

Wales rubs his hands along his thighs, they are suddenly very sweaty. 

"All her stuff is at yours."

England rolls her eyes, "Figure out the details. I'm suddenly very busy and Marie won't want to be on her own." 

Before Wales can formulate a reply England has gone. 

Wales stares at Belgium, watching her play with her mobile before taking a deep breath. 

"Hey!" Sometimes he misses the courting rituals of the past. Hey doesn't quite convey everything he wants to say but it's a start and Belgium's smile is luminous. 

"Hello stranger."

"Do you fancy a walk?" Wales asks. 

Belgium's smile brightens, "Yes!" She colours prettily. "I mean I'd like that." It eases something in Wales to see that she is as nervous as he. They haven't spent a lot of time together on their own when not dictated by politics but he's always come away smiling when he sees her. It always feels different with Belgium. 

A walk. He can do that.


	2. Girl talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belgium and England discuss love

"So you didn't do any mountain climbing then?" England says as she settles on the couch beside Belgium. 

Marie wrinkles her nose.

"No!" She retorts, "Though I think it was a pretty close thing. We just walked around for a bit.”

A completely harmless, everyday occurrence that still had the power to give Belgium butterflies. In a nation as old as they that was nothing to be sniffed at. Watching centuries of courtship with the same rituals had the power to make you cynical. What was the point when it had all been done before? And with the added safety net of immortality, the rush and impetuousness of love was often missing. Humans only had a handful of decades to live and love and so they rushed to fall in love. For nations it was a slower process. If they even did so at all. 

England laughs, "You got off lightly then, Wales loves nothing more than a good hike. Preferably one with sheep.”

Belgium kicks England's shin in retaliation opening her mouth to defend her--she wasn't sure what they were. She wonders what she was going to say before her internal filters stopped her. 

"Sorry," England says, not sounding sorry at all but Belgium hasn't heard England laugh-her real laugh in what feels like years and the Kirkland siblings throw insults at each other all the time. It means nothing.

"But you're happy though?" England leans forward, hair unrestrained by hair clips tumbling over her shoulders as she searches Belgium's face. She's not sure what England is looking for.

She nods, human emotions are sometimes hard to put into words and since they often felt them to a heightened degree since they lasted centuries and not years. Belgium has always been very careful of expressing them. 

"I don't know how to explain it. It's like having butterflies in your stomach and chest all fluttering madly but then at the same time having a sense of calm deep in the centre of you."

"Sounds lovely," if it had been anyone else England's tone would be mocking, instead she sounds ever so slightly disdainful. And a little sad. 

"I got the butterfly feelings in my stomach when I first met Portugal," England says as if eager to contribute something. "Sometimes I think...but that was a long time ago." 

Before she was an Empire and started burning bridges, Belgium finishes silently.

"I've never been in love," England says and there is a brittleness underneath the cheeriness, a strain that Belgium remembers from the war when England was trying to keep up a brave face amongst the dying. 

"I don't think I'm a lovable kind of person," England says. She says it slowly as if the words are revealing themselves to her as she says them. "Or a particularly likable person."

"I like you," Belgium says sincerely.

And she does. Likes her with a power that still overwhelms her. England is a safe port of call in a dangerous dark world. England has lain down her life for her, would do so again in a second and Belgium hasn't got the words to thank her. Not that England would accept them anyway. Overtures of that sort were quickly dismissed. 

Friendship, like love, is something deep yet unspeakable to England. 

"Do you think he'll want to go hiking?" Belgium asks when the silence lingers too long. "I could buy some wellies I suppose..." 

Their dates, three so far but Belgium is trying not to count, have been traditional ones — dinner, a show and chatter down the pub. A mix of private and public. There was also the kiss that made her bluish as red as England's former military coat and hers turned her inside out with the sheer pleasure of it. She hadn't mentioned that bit to England. Belgium appreciates the mixture. Sometimes it feels a little too intense despite the lack of time spent together. She doesn't mind walking, she’s just not as enthusiastic as Wales.

"You'll be fine," England reassures her, "it's Alba whose the walker. Wales and I just picked it up as a survival instinct." 

Belgium feels guilty about the relief that spreads through her, "oh good."

 

England laughs again, it's a strangely pretty sound, maybe because it was so rare.

"Your face was priceless."

Belgium pretends to pout, but she can't hold the expression. 

"Did you hear about France's suggestion?" At England's blank look she continues, "he suggested a double date."

"You mean like you and Wales and..."

"Him and Scotland yes."

England's face was completely serious, "promise me you'll text me all night with the highlights" she said solemnly. 

"England be serious!" 

"I am! If you do this you can forget about getting me a Christmas present for the next twenty years."

"Do you think it'll be awful?" Belgium asks softly. 

England thinks, "no but I can't see it ending well. I mean, on one hand France and Scotland." She holds up a hand to demonstrate. "And then you and Wales. But it could work if France keeps his mouth shut." 

Belgium shuts her eyes. It's one of the reasons she had wanted to keep the budding relationship a secret, there wasn't a lot of nation in the grand scheme of things and everyone had an opinion. She liked it being just Wales and Belgium in a tiny bubble, protected and ignored from the outside world. 

"You could...."

"There's not enough money in the world," England finishes for her.


End file.
